The digital art communities for Poser and Daz Studio rely heavily on free content, often referred to as "freebies," to build scenes and characters without incurring additional costs. Among the most valuable assets are dynamic clothing and props, which allow for realistic cloth simulation. Based on the provided documentation, the primary source for legitimate dynamic clothing freebies is OptiTex. Additionally, community forums and sites like Renderosity offer scripts, figures, and tutorials to assist users in creating and utilizing these assets.
OptiTex: The Primary Source for Dynamic Clothing
OptiTex is identified as the sole legal source for free dynamic clothing for Daz Studio. The company also provides a selection of morphs for V4 (Victoria 4) and M4 (Michael 4) usable in Daz Studio, as well as a limited selection of Poser dynamic wardrobe items. These resources were compiled as of June 1, 2015.
The available OptiTex freebies cover a range of items suitable for various scene types. Specific dynamic items available for download include:
- Dance Ribbon
- Dynamic Inflatables
- Dynamic Loop Set
- DynamicBag
- FlagLine
- Garbage bag
- THE GHOST (includes textures and instructions on how to play with the item)
- Old one person Army Tent
- OptiTex Catwalk
- Sun Shade
In addition to these general items, OptiTex offers specific Poser versions of dynamic wardrobe items. These include:
- Boy Friend Sweater
- Chanel Jacket
- Fur Coat
- Horse Blanket
Access to these items is provided through specific download URLs, some of which are archived via the Wayback Machine to ensure longevity of access.
Community Resources and Figures
While OptiTex dominates the dynamic clothing niche, other community sites provide valuable assets and tools for Poser and Daz Studio users.
Jurn.link (Daz Poser)
This site offers a variety of freebies, including scripts and figures. One notable script is Duplicate and Scatter for Poser 12, designed for low-poly props. This script allows users to populate background scenes efficiently, which is particularly useful for noir, pulp-crime comics, and Lovecraftian RPG game artists.
A specific freebie highlighted is a low-poly 1940s scientist/investigator figure. This figure is designed to be used in the background of scenes and is compatible with the "Dynamic Pose Construction Set" for M3 (Michael 3), which is no longer sold but is available in the library. The figure's head accepts M3 character dial morphs, allowing for customization without increasing the polygon count. The figure is found in the library under: Figures | !DieselPunkUniverse | Character Male | Agent the Forties.
Renderosity
Renderosity serves as a hub for tutorials and community discussions regarding dynamic clothing.
Tutorials: The site hosts a series of tutorials titled "Dynamics in Poser," which guide users through the basics of cloth simulation. The series includes: * Dynamics in Poser 01 Introduction: Creating a first cloth simulation by draping cloth over a cube. * Dynamics in Poser 02 Simple Clothing Simulation: Demonstrating basic clothing simulation with a figure using a long top. * Dynamics in Poser 03 Basic Layering: Demonstrating simple layering with a top and a skirt. * Dynamics in Poser 04 Troubleshooting I Fixing Poses: Examples of fixing posing issues for cloth simulation. * Dynamics in Poser 05 Working with Sitting Poses: Creating a basic sitting pose simulation.
Community Discussions: Forum threads on Renderosity discuss the compatibility of dynamic clothing between Daz Studio and Poser. Users have noted that while dynamic clothing designed for Poser generally cannot be used in Daz Studio (except as a static prop), the reverse is possible. It is possible to use dynamic DAZ dresses in Poser on V4 figures. The process involves loading the item in Daz Studio, exporting it as an .obj file, importing that .obj into Poser, and saving it as a prop. This method has been used successfully with OptiTex commercial outfits from Daz Studio prior to their support for Poser.
Compatibility and Technical Considerations
Understanding the compatibility between software and dynamic items is crucial for users.
Poser vs. Daz Studio: Dynamic clothing created for Poser generally cannot be used in Daz Studio. According to the documentation, these items are likely Poser dynamic items because of the cost of the designer's license for the software Daz Studio used prior to version 4.10. Consequently, dynamic clothing for Poser is restricted to static props in Daz Studio.
Packaging Freebies for Distribution: For users interested in distributing their own dynamic props, such as the dynamic skirt for V4 mentioned in the forums, specific file structures are required. To package a dynamic prop correctly for Poser, the following folder structure inside the Runtime folder is necessary: * Runtime/geometries: Contains .obj files. * Runtime/textures: Contains .bum, .jpg files. * Runtime/Libraries/poses: Contains .pz2 and .png files. * Runtime/Libraries/Props: Contains .pp2 and .png files.
Additionally, a readme file is required to provide contact information in case of difficulties and to state the terms of use (personal or commercial use) and redistribution permissions.
Conclusion
The availability of free dynamic clothing and props for Poser and Daz Studio is centered around OptiTex, which remains the only legal source for such specific assets. While OptiTex provides the core wardrobe items, community sites like Jurn.link and Renderosity offer supplementary tools, figures, and educational content. Users must be mindful of software compatibility, particularly the limitations of using Poser dynamic items in Daz Studio. For those creating their own assets, adhering to the correct file packaging structure is essential for successful distribution.